It was said of George Whitefield, that he woke-up every morning at 4:00am for personal prayer-time. As 10:00pm approached he would say to everyone in his home, “Come, gentleman, it’s time for all good folks to be at home.” Doesn’t that sound a little rude? Why would he say something like that? Because if he stays up too late he wouldn’t be able to wake up early to seek God, (nor would he have been a fire brand to kindle The Great Awakening). According to Deuteronomy 4:24…

God is a “jealous God”.

And if He’s jealous to have your heart, then you and I ought to be jealous about guarding that time, and not letting anyone, (or anything), steal that time with our First Love, who’s name is, Jesus.

Below are some points that I’ve developed for an effective Prayer-Time/Quiet-Time. Avoid the tendency to check e-mail, or Facebook, etc. Get a plan and watch how much your relationship with God will grow.

1. Make a “Prayer Time” CD.

2. Plan ahead & find a “Prayer Closet” where you can be alone.

3. Know in advance where you’re going to read in the Word.

4. Get a Prayer Journal and write down what the Holy Spirit is giving you.

5. Use Rhema Cards to get your prayer time started with faith.

6. Then move into a time of Thanksgiving.

7. Lift your hands in praise & adoration to the Lord.

8. Then begin to pray The Lord’s Prayer.

9. Avoid sleepiness by pacing & praying.

10. Takethe last 5 minutes of your Quiet Time to thank, worship, and praise God.

Do have struggles in your Quiet-Time, or secrets that have helped you? Leave a comment below.

What does a rabbit’s foot and guardian angels have to do with this article? Keep reading and find out…

“And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law. ” (2 Chronicles 15:2–3, NKJV)

There’s so much in just these two verses.

“The Lord is with you while you are with Him.” We often pray the prayer, “Lord, just be with us….” It’s a nice prayer to pray, but God tells us how to have the Lord with you: Be with Him. Instead of asking the Lord to tag along with you, like some sort of guardian angel, or lucky rabbit’s foot, we need to be much with Him.

This next part leapt off the pages to me: “For a long time Maui has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law.”

1. WITHOUT RELATIONSHIP Think of that, “without the true God”. It’s like living your whole life thinking and doing one thing, but the true reality is simply a figment of your imagination. In the context, Israel was getting involved in idol worship. They thought Ashram (v. 16) represented a powerful god, but it was merely statue. It would be like if my son talked to my guitar saying, “Daddy, I ask you to help me now.” I would have to grab him and say, “Hey, over here! I’m not that piece of wood!” I think of so many here in the Hawaii – living without God. Everyday, driving to work, not knowing the sweet presence of the Lord. ‘O how it must change!

2. WITHOUT REVELATION “without a teaching priest”. I like how Ezekiel puts it… “And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.” (Ezekiel 44:23, NKJV) ‘O to receive and walk-in revelation knowledge!

3. WITHOUT RULES “without the law”. Now, I would be the first one to tell you, that Christianity isn’t a bunch of rules and regulations, but I’ve found that we can be so “free” that no longer have standards of righteousness. I see believers posting pictures on the internet of them drinking alcohol, smoking, and swearing . How can we really know the way if we’ve lost our compass, our sense of direction, and personal holiness? How can we show others the way if we, ourselves don’t know where we’re going ourselves? We’re going “without”.

…Without the presence of God
…Without the Bible
…Without daily devotions
…Without convictions and standards
…Without a prayer-life
… Without power
…Without direction

The Lord never meant for any one of us to go without. He fills the hunger soul with good things. Are you hungry enough to go to Him today? Don’t be one of those who goes without. Allow the Lord to do a work in your life today.

Prayer:
“Lord, I don’t want to “go without”. I need a stronger relationship with You today. Help me to draw near to You today, I pray. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

1. Set an alarm. With all our modern-day gadgets it’s easily to set a unique alarm on your phone, once a day, once a week, to remind yourself of your new season. Or it can be to remind you to stick with your goal of reading the Bible each day, or whatever. [Joel 2:1]

2. Flush, purge, and clean it out. Spiritually awake people are always scanning their life to make sure that garbage doesn’t pile up. They take a few hours on a Saturday and delete old music and files off their computer. They clean their room or redecorate so their environment is conducive to growth. [2 Chron. 34:8, Acts 19:19]

3. Create a “Prayer-Time” playlist on iTunes. This one has helped me alot. When you’re getting ready to spend time with the Lord it’s good to have some worship music on. (One of my playlists is 1.1 hours long, and I devote that whole hour to prayer). [Psalm 108:2-3]

4. Start a Bible reading plan. My wife and I have been doing this for years. Everyday you know exactly what you’re doing to read. It’s amazing how God can speak to you, even while going thru an obscure book like, Obadiah or Jude. [Matt. 24:35, Heb. 4:12]

5. Memorize scripture. Ok, ok… I know this sounds childish, or “Sunday-school-ish”. But if you’re wanting to really be awake spiritually, at some point you’ll need to renew your mind, (Rom. 12:2). Next time you’re at Walgreens pick you up some 3×5 index cards. Write-out the verse on one side, and the scripture address on the other. [Ps. 19:7-8, Ps. 119:11]

In Maui, we now have the world’s largest digital camera, (located on top of Mt. Haleakala, of course). It’s ability to capture the span of 40 moons across the canvas of outer space – is amazing indeed. But the main function of this camera is not mere “star gazing”, no, it’s used to watching out for meteors that could potentially “rock our world”. (Remember the movie, “Armageddon”?)

”Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” [John 13:1]

On the night Jesus was to be betrayed, He took His disciples to a place called: “loving them to the end.” And when you see a person loving his dearest friends to the very end his life, what does that look like? The phrase, “…to the end” has it’s origin in the greek: telos, from which we get the word, Telescope. Jesus was absolutely focused and zeroed-in on demonstrating His love for His disciples.

When you look up to the God of the universe, what do you see? What are you expecting? Many people actually think of God as One who is dropping “meteors of trials” down on them, as if He is the “Cosmic Kill-Joy” of the universe. Others are always expecting the worse thing will happen, and that “…Oh, God probably doesn’t love me, because of all the bad things I’ve done….” But, here’s the thing, when you look through telescope of God’s Word [James 1:22-25], you’ll see that what is on the horizon for your life are… the multitude of mercies and love drops from Heaven, because of the great love of a great God. And just like Jesus loved those disciples of His to very end, in the same way He will love you and I – right up to the very end. Aren’t you glad for a Saviour like this?!

Pray This Prayer“Lord, this morning I want to thank You for Your great Love for me. I know at times I deserve a meteor of judgement, but I ask for mercy and for grace to be extended from the scepter of Your Throne. I receive Your unconditional, agape love over my life and right now, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

This morning as I was driving down the mountain I saw a familiar scene, but something was different. Fields of sugarcane were being burned; and the heat of the smoke was actually pushing away the beautiful white clouds that were being formed around the west Maui mountains. Brown, smog-like haze was beginning to overtake the white clouds. And I thought to myself, “I wonder how many times God has wanted to come down and hover over my life with His presence, but I have such a carnal smoke cloud burning that it pushes Him back.” But I came across a scripture that gives the believer courage in times of struggle.

“Yet in Your manifold mercies You did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day, to lead them on the road; nor the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way they should go.” [Neh. 9:19]

Here, God’s Word is saying that even when the children of Israel were creating the “smog of self-centeredness”, (#1.) They weren’t forsaken by God. And (#2.) The cloud did not depart from them! Just when you think you’re at your worst, and that God is “holding His nose” to your “fires of sin”, He stays with you, showing you mercy, and gives you a real hope that you’re still His, and that He’s not going to leave.

No matter where you’re at today – you may feel like a failure, or that you’ve worn-out your welcome at the altar of God by your multitude of transgressions, but God Word is true! You cannot chase Him away from you. Your “smog” is no match for His “cloud”. He saved you, He changed you, He’s got a vested interest in holding on to you! Think about it, He’s invested too much in you to, somehow, let you go now. No! He’s drawing near to you, and causing His presence to blow away all the carnal pollution that you’ve been spreading in your life. He’s letting you know that, the change you’re seeking is right around the corner, and that you’re new beginning can start today!

“Yo! I got your back!” Have you ever had anyone say that to you? Feels good, doesn’t it? But how would you feel if the very God in Heaven were to back you in everything you did? Take a look at this scripture…

“As for you, if you (1) live in my presence as your father David lived, (2) pure in heart and action, (3) living the life I’ve set out for you, (4) attentively obedient to my guidance and (5) judgments, then I’LL BACK YOUR KINGLY RULE over Israel—make it a sure thing on a sure foundation. The same covenant guarantee I gave to David your father I’m giving to you, namely, ‘You can count on always having a descendant on Israel’s throne.”

[2 Chron. 7:17-18 The MSG Bible]

Notice the 5 keys!!

1. Live in the Presence of God.

2. Live with a Pure heart & pure Actions.

3. Live the life God gave you, (don’t wish you were someone else).

4. Live in Obedience to the Voice of the Holy Spirit.

5. Live off of the very Words of God!

May the Lord strengthen your spiritual foundation, and encourage you to know that He will strongly support those, whose hearts are completely His!

One of the favorite things the enemy loves to steal is our prayer time.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. [John 10:10]

Far too many Christians don’t understand just how much of an injustice this is. If our car were ripped off, we’d be furious! We’d call the police, our insurance agent, and all our friends wouldn’t hear the end of it. But when the enemy steals-away our Devotional life? “Ah, I’ll pray later.” Or, “Hey, it’s not such a big deal, we’re saved by grace – relax, bro.” And all the while the Devil is rolling on the floor with laughter as, another one bites the dust and another day of spiritual Rigamortis sets in.

It’s time for God’s people to get furious over letting the enemy steal-away the most valuable weapon we have! Love your car? Love your Devotional-Life more.